Wednesday 3 March 2010

The Windermere Triangle and another Tale of Life as it is in the lakes.

My thanks to Donna for this lovely tag.

I like to try and visit my elerly neighbour Ron on a daily basis especially since he had a bad fall just a few weeks before Christmas. The only day I didn't go in to see him was the time I was needed the most.  He had fallen on theWednesday evening at 7 o'clock and I didn't get to see him until by chance on the Friday morning.  I knocked and went in to see if he needed any shopping. Normally I usually call for an hour between 4 o'clock and 5o'clock each day. The lead up to Christmas had me busy shopping and I thought I could miss a day. Never again!
I found him sitting in his chair with his fleece jacket draped over his shoulders and his right arm exposed to me.  He had gashed his head, hurt his tummy/ribs/ and torn the top layer of his forearm so that it resembled the sleeve of a cardi pushed up out of the way.
What a fright I got!  He had been sat like that and didn't like to phone me for fear of going into hospital.  ( I know him so well now). He wouldn't allow me to call an ambulance so, after long discussions over the phone to our surgery I took him down there to be looked at.  The doctor who saw him said you could do a nice anatomy lesson on what she could see.  His wound was 8" x 3" .  He said he couldn't feel a thing and it didn't hurt.  Unfortunately the edges necrotised by leaving it too long; which meant he couldn't have stitches.
So began a  long twice weekly change of dressing at the nurses clinic.
Then came the snow.  We live at the top of a hill and as soon as there is a reasonable amount of snow we are handicapped by being unable to take our car out. This winter, as we all know, has been a bad one for deep snow all over Britain and the east coast of the U.S.
The district nurses were unable to visit to do his dressings so I walked down to the surgery, collected a first aid bag full of dressings, ointments and sterile saline water so that I could do it for him.  Between us over the next three weeks we made one good nurse.  lol  We learnt as we went along.
Amazingly, unlike my recent toenail removal, he never needed antibiotics and his wound stayed clean and healed beautifully.
He will be 90 this June and of a mind now to be saying he has lived long enough.  Some of you will remember Margaret his wife who has been gone for two and a half years now.   I call him a miserable old so and so.  He has been blessed with a long and healthy life so far and he had better hang around so that I can see his 100th Birthday card from the Queen.  Or else!  lol
I'm amazed at his ability to heal so well. Now that's a blessing at his age.


Here in Windermere there has been a bit of mystery occuring in the village.  They were calling it the Windermere Triangle (After the Bermuda Triangle).  For some reason motorists who parked inside this triangle could not unlock their cars or lock them. Sometimes there was no problem at all.  There were many theories.." Perhaps it is to do with the frequency of the traffic lights..they could be using the same frequency as the keys to the cars".  "Maybe it was to do with a radio ham in the village?  Or.. as the local baker remarked.. "It could be to do with the ghost that haunts our shop". 
The authorities eventually looked into it and came up blank.  What on earth was locking people out of their cars or stopping them from locking them as they left?
Yesterday I was told the answer...
It was all to do with a local restaurant.
They were using electronic notepads to take orders and then sending them through to the chef in the kitchen
They were using the same frequency as the car keys.
All is well, now that the freqency has been changed, and back to usual in the village...except for our bakers ghost....hmmmm?
I may not be around tomorrow as I have an appointment with our local hospital podiatrist.  She is a nice Scottish lass from Clydebank in Glasgow, so I look forward to a chat whilst she is having a peek at my poorly toes.
It will be another three to five weeks before they heal I'm told.
It is tedious bathing daily for ten minutes in salt water and dressing them both again but it could have been longer if I had them done individually.
This way was best.  Over and done with quicker.
A mild day today here in the Lakes, but overcast with little peeps of sunshine now and then.
Take care.





6 comments:

Jan said...

Its sods law isnt it ? the very day you dont go ,when this happens ,But you have more than made up for your one day off ,bless you what would he do without your lovng care ,what an interesting story about the cars ...love Jan xx

Gerry said...

What a good neighbor you are and have been rewarded by seeing your old neighbor heal when he might not have gotten help for days. I am glad that your toes are on the mend, too. It is nice to read your stories again about life 'in the Lakes.' I hope that you will not fall silent as I also enjoy your comments which are always full of the same compassion as you show your neighbors and family and grandkids.

Sybil said...

Hi Jeanie, how did I miss the fact that you were back with us !! Only by chance tonight I was looking through ALL the blogs on my list and discovered you were back...hip hip hooray...I am SO pleased to be able to get up to date news about you all. Your poor wee feets !! hope they are not tooooo painful now. I am glad that your old man is better thank goodness for Nurse Jeanie..
Love for now Sybil
PS have just heard via Sarah that our friend near you has just died, he had a severe stroke about 3 weeks ago...

Judith HeartSong said...

Your neighbor is so lucky to have you.

ADB said...

Well done for looking after your neighbour, Jeanie. I agree, it has been a long, hard winter for all. So, roll on spring!

Anonymous said...

Hi Jeanie,

Small world! Last week in class, we discussed many of Wordsworth's poems. The professor lectured on the Lake Country and Grasmere. He follows a web cam from someone who lives there and posts a picture daily.

I see you are from this magnificent area.

What country for poetic inspiration!